Wolves Walking Around.

Wolves walking around.

Matthew 7:15 -- 23. 02/01/04

Ann and I stopped at Dewey’s house the day of his mother’s funeral. Blackjack, the Doberman pincher was laying in the yard. I pointed to old blackjack and Ann said I’m not getting out. Now I know old blackjack and I know he would not harm a flea. As a matter-of-fact he likes to have company.

Now when she saw the dog she became sensitized. She began to wonder about the potential danger.

Now what would you do if you went to a church and their a sign at the door reads, beware wolves in the house? You would really be careful wouldn’t you, because wolves are some of the fierce animals on earth? They are animals the shepherds dreaded even more than the lion or bear. Once a wolf gets a taste of blood, he gets into a feeding frenzy. He kills more than he can eat. He just kills to be killing.

Now Jesus told his followers, boys there are some wolves around but they have put on the disguise of sheep in order to fool people. These are dangerous animals and Jesus offers us a warning about them. I’m glad he did, because we often don’t get warnings about danger.

Let’s read the texts, Matthew 7:15 -- 23.

If there was ever a generation that needs to be warned about false prophets, it is ours. It seems like every month we read or hear and about some person who says he has discovered a new truth. He ends up taking a crowd with him and it doesn’t make any difference how far fetched it may sound. It’s been a few years ago now but Mr. Appleby and his brainwashed group was going to catch Hale-Bop comet. I tell you what they caught; if they have not been saved they are experiencing what a devil’s hell is like.

Now the devil doesn’t oppose religion. He is opposed to the Bible and Christianity and he comes against churches that are doing any work for God. He comes against any individual who is working for the Lord to win souls. And so far his tactics are working real fine. He taps person here and a person there on the shoulder and gives them some advice. They follow his advice and go against what God impresses on another to do. Now you know what happens? The devil gets happy because the one he works against gets all out of sort, mad, angry and often times quit. You listen to this preacher. If you are the blunt of an attack of Satan you ought to raise your hand to God, give him a little wave and say hallelujah to God. But too many just quit. Now the devil is glad, he has won another victory. What happened is you get mad at the person rather than the source.

Listen; don’t ever mistake the person for the moment. What happens is you get mad with the wrong person. Vent your anger toward Satan and keep on keeping on. You know I am right and it is because I have experienced it so often.

Now the Bible teaches us that the best way to tell the genuine from the false is to get real familiar with the genuine. And when we do we can spot the false.

In our study Jesus gives us some things to look for. One of the first things we are to do is look at THE FLEECE THEY WEAR. Jesus said they would be wearing sheep clothing. They will look just like the rest of the flock, but that will be their disguise. And when you pull back the disguise, you will see the wolf underneath.

False prophets come in three categories. The book of Jude describes all three of these categories. First, there are those who go the way of Cain. That is, they pervert the gospel. You remember Cain brought to God the fruit of his hands. His offering wasn’t based on blood but his own efforts. They tell people you can make you way to God through your own works.

The second type of false prophet is found in the profit Balaam. He did not pervert the gospel, but he prostituted it. All this for personal gain. He wanted to make something off his role as a spokesman for God.

The third type of false prophet is found in Korah. He did not pervert the gospel nor did he prostitute the gospel but what he did was to protest the gospel. God would speak to Moses what he wanted to people to do. Korah was against it. He was against all that Moses did.

There are those who are against the furtherance of God’s Kingdom. They can come up with many excuses of why we ought not to do this and that, but the bottom line is they don’t care about the souls of lost people.